April 29, 2005
1. Democracy or Colonial Dictatorship
in Iraq
2. Returning Marines speaking out
about poor equipment etc
3. Sunset Panel for federal agencies
etc
4. How the insurance industry sees
global warming
5. Between Iraq and a hard place
6. Left, right, and wrong - a
thought-provoking essay from VT
*****************
1. A sobering analysis of the
progress of the new Iraqi government, and the Transitional
Authority rulings that effectively steal their country from the
Iraqi people.
2. These marines are talking and the
story isn't pretty. It sums up the lack of planning and
incompetence around the war in Iraq. I would guess this is just
one of many such tales that will come out as more and more troops
return home.
3. They've dreamed up yet another way
to eliminate any Federal agency or program that doesn't support
their corporate/hegemonic agenda - their plan to dismantle most of
the government would take a huge leap forward with this one.
4. There are some interesting articles
in Mother Jones this month - available on-line - this article is
about how the insurance industry thinks about global warming, and
the implications of the weather changes for their industry and
for those who need insurance.
5. A little of this and a little of
that on the current military status in Iraq, recruitment,
desertions, draft, etc.
6. Left, right, and wrong
by Garret Keizer
for Mother Jones
People go to church for all kinds of reasons, but the main
reason that people of a certain age will start going to church is
that their kids are starting to overdose on the dominant culture.
They go to church hoping to find solid ground. Sometimes they go
to the polls hoping for the same thing.
"You know where I stand," George W. Bush said any number of
times before his 2004 electoral victory, and I certainly did: on
the wrong side of every issue. But did voters know where the
Democratic Party stood or, more to the point, on what it stood?
Did it stand on anything? If the question offends you, permit me
to ask another. Had Howard Dean been an evangelical Christian with
an evangelical Christian base, would his followers have deserted
him because his Iowa holler made him "unelectable?" Or would they
have closed ranks behind him because his stand on the Iraq war
made him right? +
Get the full Mother Jones article by entering code MJJ9AK
at this link
April 24, 2005
1. Rejecting the Extreme
Makeover of Jesus.
2. Economy and Ecology
3. One mother on the possible draft
4. Putting value on the environment -
some good news
5. Congressman Jim McGovern on his
recent trip to Iraq
**********
1. Whether you believe in his
divinity or not, Jesus had some pretty clear teachings that stand
up to any moral scrutiny. This article says as well as any I've
read why we shouldn't hesitate to pull the Gospels into our peace
work. And, I would add, any other faith tradition that is
consistent with nonviolence.
2. I've been to a couple of events
recently that have gotten me more focused on the environment and
what's coming down the pike. This article points out how the
economy and ecology are intertwined, rather than competing against
one another as is often portrayed. It also calls for people of
faith to wake up to reality and get to work.
3. A little background on the draft,
and the conversations that are currently taking place. This mom
says its up to the mothers to stop it - following in the footsteps
of Julia Ward Howe!
4. Though this is not widespread
thinking yet, the ideas in this article from The Economist have a
lot of potential to shift the way people think about the
environment and the economic impact of protection vs.
destruction.
5. Congressman McGovern shares his
observations from his very short visit to the heavily fortified
Green Zone.
April 10, 2005
1. Iraqis protest against
occupation
2. US plans for Iraqi government
3. Public not happy with Bush OR
Congress
4. How long will the Iraqi people
wait for their lives to improve?
5. The more things change...
*********
1. The Iraqis are hitting the streets
to protest the occupation - will their government listen? We know
ours won't.
2. The US needs to somehow keep those
pesky Shiites under control - so we can have the kind of
government WE want, not what the Iraqis want. Here are a few
scenarios..
3. Latest polls aren't very good for
either Bush or Congress - but do they care? Sometimes I think
they've already decided that the citizenry are pretty much
superfluous, except as cannon fodder (and even that might become
less of an issue, if they can get their robot soldiers up and
running)
4. A sobering update on what life is
like for a lot of Iraqis - still waiting for the promises to be
fulfilled.
5. Apparently the Iraqi
police continue to use techniques from Saddam's tenure - one has
to wonder how much the abuses by US troops and the pathetic
US official responses have helped create an environment where the
Iraqis believe it is OK to resume these practices, with no one to
intervene.
March 28, 2005
1. Voting corruption in US
2. Home movies from Iraq
3. A mother's note from Fayetteville,
NC
4. Intelligence failure report
***************
1. The corruption in our voting
process is still a live issue, and it's probably worse than we
thought. It remains to be seen, whether our elected officials will
commit to having clean elections here, or if that's just an issue
in places like the Ukraine.
2. GIs make home movies and music
videos with images from war - some of the attitudes expressed are
very disturbing.
3. We were sent the following in an
e-mail from a Fayetteville rally organizer - it's from a soldier's
mom.
To All My Brothers and Sisters in
Peace,
As I reflect on last weekends protest at Fort Bragg I feel the
healing has begun. No longer do I feel alone, I spent the weekend
with 5000 of my new brothers and sisters in peace. Mere words can
not express the gratitude I feel. I threw away my car magnet
today..true support of the troops is standing up and speaking out
"Enough is Enough" I have had enough of the lies, I've had enough
of the death for us and the Iraqis.
I did not know it but you all were there with me on my sleepless
nights as I cried in pain for my son in Iraq. You knew of my fears
and terror when I heard a soldier had died. My son's spirit
forever damaged by the killing he has done and witnessed. I mourn
the loss of my son's innocence. There is a permanent look of pain
in my son's eye. When my son left for Iraq it was as if I took a
deep breathe and didn't exhale till he returned home. Well I have
caught my breath and I am now a force to be reckoned with. It is
with all your encouragement that I found my voice.
My son dropped me off at the protest..I said you know we are doing
this because we love you. My son replied "I know that Mom."
Thank you for standing up and being witnesses. We are standing
with people of the entire world.You have given me strength and I
will not stop fighting till our last soldier is home.
Mother of Specialist Robert Stillwell Airborne MP (Iraq Combat
Veteran currently stationed at Fort Bragg)
Georgia Stillwell
4. One has to wonder if anyone will
learn anything from the 600 page report - or if it will just be
used to pass the blame.
March 12, 2005
1. Fourteen points defining
fascism
2. How about Gross National Happiness instead of Gross National
Product?
3. Military voices in the anti-war movement
4. John Bolton and the UN, plus Condi
5. Attack Iran?
**************
1. Thanks to Leo Sandy for
sending along this link. They list the point, then give links to
articles that illustrate how each point is being played out by
the current regime.
2. The Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan
is leading the way toward the idea of measuring Gross National
Happiness instead of Gross National Product, as a measure of
well-being in the society.
3. This is a pretty good summary of
the various activities going on involving military voices
against the Iraq war, and offers a couple of cautionary notes as
well.
4. An interesting take on how the
nomination of John Bolton relates to Condi's position and
influence - will she be the next to be marginalized and shunned,
now that she's served her political purpose as a token? She may
be Bush's darling, but how much power does he really have?
5. Analysis from Ray McGovern,
ex-CIA analyst, about the likelihood of an attack on Iran.